Label for household linen



'OCLZ'Y, 1936. GoQDcl-HLD V 2,059,093

LABEL FOR HOUSEHOLD LINEN Filed Jan. El, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LABEL FOR HOUSEHOLD LINEN Application January 31, 1935, Serial No. 4,341

1 Claim.

The present invention pertains to labels adapted to be attached to articles of household linen, such as sheets, blankets, towels, or the like, to display identifying markings, such as the size of the article, the trademark of the manufacturer, or other appropriate indicia and it is my object to provide a marker which is non-ravelling, which is readily attached to the article to be marked and which, when attached, is plainly Visible in a pile of linen, but which at the same time does not protrude from the article to which it is attached to catch in washing machines, the springs of the bed or the like, with which the article of linen comes in contact.

In accordance with my invention an elongated strip of cloth, suitably marked to delineate individual labels, is cut to sever, from the strip, label blanks which are in substantially the shape of a right isosceles triangle with the two equal sides presenting cut edges and the third side or base presenting a selvage edge. The labels as delineated on the elongated strip prior to cutting, are disposed alternately in inverted position on the strip, so that the selvage edge on one side of the strip forms the base of one triangular blank and the selvage edge on the opposite side of the strip forms the base of the next succeeding triangular blank.

The triangular blank so severed is adapted to be folded along the median line to the selvage base whereby the folded label so formed comprises two triangular surfaces, the area of which is substantially one-half the area of the unfolded blank, and the cut edges are now superimposed on each other. The folded label is then applied to a corner of a sheet with the median fold line enclosing the open end of the hem. The cut edges of the label are now disposed on opposite sides of the sheet, extending diagonally across the corner thereof and juxtaposed opposite each other, and the label is secured to the corner of the sheet by a single line of stitching extending along the cut edges of the label and passing through both surfaces of the label and through the thickness of sheet material disposed therebetween. As will appear, by so positioning and securing the label on the corner of the sheet the open edge of the hem is closed without further stitching and the single line of stitching which secures the label to the corner of the sheet also effectively binds the cut edges against ravelling.

The elongated cloth strip from which the labels are severed is woven in the usual manner with the warp threads running lengthwise of the strip and the weft threads extending across the strip forming the selvage edges at both margins of the strip. Heretofore, labels have been severed from such strips in the form of rectangles which were thereafter either sewn on to the sheet in the rectangular form or were folded to form a triangular corner-enclosing-label similar to the label of my invention and in cutting such labels the line of the cut was normal to the selvage and parallel to the weft threads, thereby presenting, at the cut edges, loose weft threads which easily ravelled. By my novel method of cutting triangular blanks which are folded to make smaller, corner-enclosing triangular labels, the line of the cut is on a bias to both the warp and the weft and by this bias cut the presence of loose, ravelling weft or warp threads at the edge of the cut is avoided. As the cut edges of my label, when secured to the sheet, are stitched, my invention provides double security against ravelling which has presented a troublesome problem in the prior art.

These and further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from a more detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the elongated strip marked to delineate the individual labels;

Fig. 2 shows one of the labels severed from the strip with the markings not shown and with the warp and weft threads magnified;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the reverse side of a corner of the sheet to which my label is to be attached, showing the open edge of the hem which is closed upon attaching the label;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a label folded and ready to be attached to the hem of the sheet indicated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of the reverse side of the sheet with the label properly positioned and stitched thereto; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the front surface of the sheet corner with label attached.

As indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the strip I from which the individual label blanks 2 are severed, is provided with selvage edges 3 and 4 formed by the Warp threads 5 (Fig. 2) and weft threads 6. The strip is marked by printing, weaving, or otherwise to delineate the individual label blanks and particularly to define two triangular flaps Ill and H which, when folded, may be disposed on the front and reverse surfaces of the sheet, respectively. The spaces l2 defined by the striping l8 indicate generally the areas along which the individual labels are severed from the strip and, as indicated by a comparison of Figs.

l and 2, the label blank, when severed from the strip by cuts along the areas i2, is in the general form of a right isosceles triangle with two equal sides l3 and I 4. As indicated in Fig. 2, the cuts which form the side edges i3 and [4 are on a bias to both the warp and the Weft threads and in that manner the presenting of loose ravelling warp or weft threads adjacent the cut edges is avoided and the tendency of the cut edges to ravel is thereby materially reduced.

The space, I5, defined by the parallel striping I 9 in each individual label, indicates generally the median line I6 (Fig. 2) perpendicular to the selvage, along which the label blank is then folded to form the smaller triangular flaps l0 and Il. It will be apparent that when the label is folded along the line I8, as indicated in Fig. 4, the cut edges [3 and I 4 will be juxtaposed opposite each other.

The sheet 20, to which my label is to be attached, is provided, as is customary, with a narrow hem 2| stitched at 22 and open at 23. The label 2 is positioned for attachment to the corner of the sheet by placing the fold, which has been made along the median line l6, opposite the open edge 23 of the hem and the label is then moved into position on the hem to dispose the cut edges I 3 and M diagonally across the corner of the sheet, and, as indicated in Fig. 5, the label is secured to the sheet by a single line of stitching 25 running parallel to and closely adjacent the cut edges [3 and M. The line of stitching 25 passes through both of the side flaps iii and H and the hem H of the sheet disposed therebetween, as indicated also in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing description, it will be. apparent that the objects and advantages of my invention hereinbefore set forth have been secured by my invention, the preferred embodiment of which has now been described. It will be apparent that the label blank which is cut in the form of a right isosceles triangle can be readily folded to juxtapose the cut edges l3 and I4 opposite each other so that a single line of stitching will be efiective not only to secure the label to the corner of the sheet, but also to bind the cut edges against ravelling. It is also obvious that the tendency of those edges to ravel is materially decreased by the bias out which eliminates the presence of loose threads against the cut edges. The edges of my folded label which are not secured by the single line of stitching will obviously remain in place and these unstitched edges comprise the fold of the label and the selvage edge in which ravelling obviously cannot occur.

It will be noted that the striping 30 which is provided adjacent the selvage edges and the striping i9 which delineates the fold line. forming the two triangular flaps l0 and I I, extend closely parallel to the two edges of the corner of the sheet on both sides when the label has been secured in position and thereby the visibility of the label is materially enhanced, particularly if the striping be of brilliant color.

Various modifications of the preferred embodiment of my invention herein described will be apparent to the user and my invention is to be limited only as indicated in the appended claim.

I claim:

A piece of household linen, such as a sheet or the like, having a corner enclosed in a label comprising a triangular piece of material, the sides of which present cut edges and the base of which presents a selvage edge, the said label being folded to present two triangular flaps disposed respectively on the front and reverse surfaces of the sheet with the cut edges substantially juxtaposed and being secured to the sheet by stitching, a single line of stitching passing through the juxtaposed cut edges and the sheet disposed therebetween being sufficient so to secure it.

FRANK GOODCHILD. 

